I’m pretty sure some brain-dead gun control politician wrote this.
In light of the Bruen decision, cities in California are begrudgingly issuing concealed carry permits, but that’s not preventing them from being as passive-aggressive about it as possible.
The good folks at Firearms Policy Coalition (Outstanding group. You should join) Posted an excellent meme about the City of Long Beach Concealed Carry License Policy (CCW).
Sometimes a good meme does wonders for the soul.
On Page 6 they noticed a carefully worded suggestion to all approved Long Beach CCW holders that said...
“Whenever possible, licensees are encouraged to wear their CCW ID card on a lanyard around their neck”.
Seriously? I checked, and sure enough...
Whoever wrote this must have been partying way too hard with Hunter that weekend.
Just so we're clear...
The whole concept behind concealed carry is the whole “concealed” part. As FPC’s astute meme noted, “This is just open carry with an additional step”.
The list of the reasons that this is a horrible and frankly dangerous suggestion in an urban setting is long but the very fact that a police department tasked with public safety would even allow such a thing is one of the most irresponsible things I have ever heard of.
In an urban setting you become a target.
If you were crafting a suggestion designed to INCREASE gun violence you couldn’t do much better. Criminals love taking things that are not their own and nothing is a bigger prize than a firearm. We have seen many cases of private security guards attacked and killed just for their firearms, and these are (supposedly) trained individuals in security. Even though CCW holders have training (and most continually train) they are viewed as less of a threat by criminals. Placing a target on their backs is a guarantee of increased violent incidents.
If you were crafting a suggestion designed to INCREASE gun violence you couldn’t do much better.
We are not cops.
When I wear a dark windbreaker or hoodie and a cap and am often mistaken for security at gas stations, mini-marts, grocery stores, etc. Hanging a stupid lanyard around my neck only increased the confusion. I’m just a regular dude trying to buy a gallon of milk. I’m not looking to get involved in somebody's escalating altercation. The last thing I need is someone running to me for help about something I know nothing about or doesn't affect me.
What part of “concealed” do you not understand?
The sole purpose of concealed carry is to be as inconspicuous as possible.
I don’t want to be identified as the first one to take out if some criminal decides to rob a store. The only time a bad guy should know I’m armed is when he feels the thud of a Ranger+P making him question his life choices. I’m not interested in giving any advanced warning.
But, but, but… for public safety people have a right to know if you are armed!
No, they don’t. They no more need to know what’s in my waistband than I need to know what’s in their purse or wallet. But this begs the question: If it is so important for the public to have this knowledge then why ban open carry? Now, I’m not a fan of open carry in urban areas for many of the above reasons (many 2A gun owners agree to disagree with this), but what Long Beach is encouraging is basically “open carry”.
My wife, ever the pragmatist, read this and said, "This is stupid but it doesn’t say you have to show it." (She’s good at finding the loopholes in things. 30 years in insurance does that to you). “I’d just stick the stupid thing in my shirt and no one would ever know”. I agree. It doesn’t say it has to be visible but honestly, that tactic wasn’t the first thing that crossed my mind and I’m pretty sure the majority of readers think the same way.
Now, no one is actually going to do this. No CCW Instructor is going to teach this and no CCW owner with two functioning brain cells is going to take this “recommendation” to heart. But the mere suggestion reeks of yet another backhanded attempt at making you feel as uncomfortable as possible when you exercise your constitutionally guaranteed 2nd Amendment rights.
And if this is about “public safety” I have a vague recollection of the last time a government felt the need to “identify” a particular group of people for the safety and well-being of the community.
It didn’t turn out too well for those folks. Maybe you remember it.
I have to believe that even the politician that was responsible for this knows it's stupid and that's what really concerns me. Is there something more behind this?
It's as if they WANT confrontations.
If so, this is an insidious and sick tactic. It’s as if LBPD and the politicians that crafted this are looking to provoke confrontations to justify their gun control agenda. They want more incidents involving CCW holders to prove their point that gun owners that carry for self defense are evil, vile, fringe people that need to be corralled and controlled.
They know that concealed carry permit holders are by far the most level headed, law-abiding and vetted people walking their streets. This is not hyperbole, this is a stated and documented fact. Newsom, Bonta, Beto and all anti-gunners in D.C. know this, too. So the only way they can convince the public that we are a menace is to create incidents that support their lies.
They want people to get in our faces. They want activists to confront us, belittle us, insult and demean us in public in the hopes that one of these “unhinged, right-wing, racist, knuckledraggers” will lose it and go on a killing spree.
Uh, that’s not going to happen.
Not only are we not going to wear this crap, but if any of these people would take the time to actually attend a CCW class or go through training they would know that confrontation is the LAST thing we want. We go out of our way to avoid it.
But the worst thing about this "suggestion" is that it exposes CCW holders to unnecessary contact and harassment by law enforcement in Long Beach, seemingly designed to publicly out and humiliate us for exercising our 2nd Amendment rights.
The Long Beach PD CCW Policy states that “The Department reserves the right to inspect any license or licensed firearm at any time.” It’s not a stretch to believe that the anti-gun politicians and it’s equally anti-gun police chief will go out of it’s way to check each and every CCW lanyard they encounter.
Perfect for low-level swatting leading to more unnecessary police contact.
It’s also not a stretch to believe many of the overwhelmingly liberal citizens of Long Beach will feel “threatened” by someone sitting 10 feet away from them at Cheesecake Factory with a CCW card. How many times will LBPD be called to ease their fears. Low-level swatting from the Karens and Kevins of the world, leading to unnecessary police contact.
Orange County, CA (where I reside), a mere 15 miles from Long Beach has a somewhat similar requirement but it is way more nuanced and full of common sense.
Upon any “official” police contact a CCW holder must present your CCW card to the officer. If I have contact with a LEO and have to give my name, I must present.
This is what has happened to me every single time:
Officer:
“Are you carrying today?”
Me:
“Always”
Officer:
“Good job. Thanks.”
No embarrassing disarmament. No being surrounded by a cluster of officers. No public searches. I hope contact with LBPD will be as cordial.
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